


The Bandit and his guv

by allibee



Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest VIII
Genre: Fluff, I just want Yangus to be happy, M/M, Or Is It?, Unrequited Love, the smallest amount of angst possible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-30 01:08:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12643047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allibee/pseuds/allibee
Summary: Yangus loves his guv, but doesn't think he loves him back. A journey through the story with selected moments of Yangus falling in love.





	The Bandit and his guv

Yangus knew he was a good for nothing. Sure, Red had loved him, but that was brief and in the past. Growing up in Pickham, he hadn’t known much about kindness, let alone love. Yangus had to fend for himself his whole life. He only knew how to be selfish, but it wasn’t his fault. Raised on the streets of Pickham made him that way.

Yangus had never known anyone to be truly kind-spirited and gentle. Until he met his guv. 

He wonders how his life would have gone if he hadn’t threatened King Trode that day on the bridge. He wonders what would have happened if his axe didn’t miss them. 

He wonders why Eight didn’t just let him fall into the ravine. But he does know why. Even though Yangus had met them with violence, Eight still gave him a chance. He saved Yangus’ life. From that day on, he promised to serve him as his “guv”, no matter what Trode would say.

After being taken advantage of his whole life whenever there was a moment of weakness, Yangus had been treated kindly truly for the first time in his life. He began to understand kindness. He also felt a new way he couldn’t really describe. It kind of felt like how he was when he was with Red. Yangus didn’t know what love was, but yet he did know that he was slowly but surely falling in love with his guv.

\---  
“I shoulda known a bird wouldn’t get a story like ours, guv”

Yangus smiled at Eight after he finished telling Jessica how they had met. Eight smiled back and went to explore the ship. Yangus leaned on the rail of the ship and sighed. Of course Jessica wouldn’t get their story. She doesn’t know what it’s like to fall in love with the first person who’s ever been kind to you. The only person who didn’t try to get anything out of you. The only person with true compassion. 

\---  
“But this ain’t just about me now,” he said “It’s for the guv!”

Red was shocked to see Yangus like this. She never knew him to care about anything that wasn’t treasure--let alone another person. She immediately realized why Yangus had cared so much about getting a stupid horse back.

As Red watched the party leave, she paid close attention to Yangus. She knew that she and Yangus were in love at one point, but it wasn’t meant to be. She smiled softly as she saw Yangus conversing with the kid he called ‘guv’. 

\----  
"It 'ardly needs sayin', but I'd want you there too, guv! Standin' next to the stove, maybe!"

Yangus laughed along with the others in the small cabin by Ascantha, but he felt a pang in his heart. Why couldn’t he settle down with the guv in a quaint little house after this mess was over? He knows why. Because after they cure the horse princess, Eight will obviously be the one to marry her.

But Yangus lets himself pretend for a moment when they all rest for the night. He imagines himself walking into the cabin, axe in one hand and freshly cut wood in the other. Eight stands at the stove in an apron stirring a pot and turns around to smile at him. Yangus goes up to him to kiss him on the cheek and asks what’s for dinner. Cor blimey, it was all too domestic! 

\----  
”You leave him to me, guv. Go on, in ya go!”

Yangus fought back the guards at the Savella Cathedral. He watched Eight run inside to save Medea from a horrible fate of a marriage. Yangus felt a bit of sadness but he realized that whatever his guv wanted would make him feel happy too. 

He waved at the princess and the guv as they rode away in the carriage. Yangus would let some tears fall. No suspicion there, everyone cries at weddings. Just for different reasons.

\----  
Yangus couldn’t believe what he was seeing. After the crew returned to Trodain, Medea hugged Eight and...that was the end of it. They joked during the celebrations and interacted with others, but didn’t do anything else to imply they were just married. 

During a moment of rest in the garden, away from everyone else, Yangus asked the guv why he was being so distant from Medea. Eight turned to him with a very confused look. Yangus felt a bit odd explaining to his guv that he and Medea were married now, and the confusion transferred to Yangus as Eight began to laugh. 

Eight explained that he was never in love with Medea, it was his obligation as Trodain guard to restore Medea and Trode to their former selves. Yangus, for once, was shocked into silence. Their whole journey together Yangus had presumed so much about Eight, believing his unrequited love would never be...requited. If Yangus was wrong about such a big detail all along, what else was he wrong about?

Eight tried to get Yangus’ attention, and asked what had him in such deep thought. It was then that Yangus spilled all his feelings, right then and there in the garden, after the miles and miles of holding it all back. He didn’t know what he expected Eight to do, but he had to let it all out. He mostly expected Eight to walk away and never speak to him again. Yangus thought everything about their journey would be put behind them.

But just like the day at the bridge, Eight surprised him again. Eight grabbed his hand, and as he held it, he blushed.

All his life Yangus didn’t know kindness and affection until he met the kindest and most affectionate person to exist. 

And now, that kindest and most affectionate person, loved him back.

**Author's Note:**

> In case it wasn't clear, the quotes are directly from the game! Yes, Yangus /is/ that gay for the guv.
> 
> DQ8 means so much to me...I played it when I was 9 and recently replayed it at 21. And I can't believe my child self didn't realize just how much Yangus was in love with the hero. It's right there!! Can't blame him, the guv is a pretty cool guy.


End file.
